Oil burner



B. K. INGLIS June 7 1927.

OI L BURNER Filed June 25, 1923 Patented Jiine am. m'mstts, or firnwauxnn, wrsconsmmssrenon or ONE-HALF 'ro ennmm w. mans, or mwamn, wrscousm.

.om-nunarnn; P

mune-erra t, 1923. Serial in. 647,014.

This invention relates in general to improvements inthe art of heating, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of automatic fuel 5 burners especially adapted for utilization'in I furnaces or boilers such as are ordinarily employed to heat dwellings and other build- An object of the invention is to prov de a fuel burner which is simple mconstrpction Another object of and eflicient in operation. the invention is to rovide an improved 011 burner which is compact in construction and which is reliable and automatic in operation. A further object of the invention is to rowide an air operated rotarg burner w ich will effectively produce and istribute a combustible mixture of fuel and air. Still another object of the invention is to rovide an oil burning device which may e readily manufactured and conveniently installed either in new or existing heaters. Another object of the invention is'to provide simple, efficient and automaticallyacting means for lubricatin the bearings of oil burner mechanism and or maintaining such a paratus in operating condition. These an other objectsand advantages of the present mvention will be apparent in the course of the accompanying escription.

A .clear conception of several embodiments of the present invention and ofthe operation of apparatus constructed in accordance drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various'views. v

Fig. 1 is a top -view of an improved 01lburner having a rotor operable by a current of air created by a blower, rotor having been brokeniaway 1n order to more clearly disclose details of the rotor therewith, maybe had by referring tothe" a portion of the 4 adapted for location within the lowerportion of the combustion chamber of a heater 5, a rotor 2. rotatably supported concentrically of the base 4, a motor driven blower 19 for supplying, air under pressure to the burner; a supplgl, or other liquid el to the burner, ajplpe 30 for s pplymg gas to. the pilot light 16, andmechanism forcontrollin'g the supply of oil .andgas.

metal and has an. annular air supply cham ber formed in. its lowerportion and communicating with the blower 19. through a tangentialair supply ipe 31. The annular air: supply. chamber. ormed in the base 4-.

is accessible by virtue of a removable bottom plate 32. "The central portion of the stationarybase 4' is provided. with a cup shaped recess '11 the lower extremity; of

,"The'basef i is preferably formed of cast" pipe9 for supplying oil I which closed by a removable plug"33"" which forms a support for the vertical rotor .shaft 3; The plug 33 also hasfa ball thrust bearing 14 therein u n which the shaft'3 rests, and serves to 0 amp the bottom plate 32 in position. The annular air supply chamber communicates with the recess 11 through a series oftangential passages 13; I

The peripheral portion of the base 4 is provided with an annular recess 17 and an up-' wardly diverging wall.

The fuel feeding and di tributing rotor 2 comprises a dished disk secured to; the upper end of the vertical shaft 3 and an'annular'bladed element suspended from the periphery of the disk to form an annular peripherally open fuel and air feeding gap. lhe lower portion of the annular bladed element is provided with a series of substantially radial blades 12 located within the recess 11 and in the horizontal plane of the tangential air supply passages13. The central portion of the bladed element is provid -'with an annular continuous fuel recelv ng groove 7 the outermost portion of which communicates with-the fuel and air of the rotor 2 through a series feeding gap of upwar ly and outwardly directed fuel discharge openings 8. A continuous annular atomizing screen -6 surrounds. the fuel and air feeding gap of the rotor 2, this screen preferably being secured directly to the rotor periphery.

The motor driven'air supply blower 19 is preferably driven by an electric motor the operation of which may be controlled by means of a switch 27 or other automatic control means. The discharge end of the fuel or oil supply pipe 9 is provided with a nozzle 10 or other means for conducting the oil into the groove 7 of the rotor 2. The supply pipe 9 communicates with a float control device 21 to which the supply of'oil is delivered from a suitable storage tank through a main supply pipe 25 and a control valve mechanism 24. The pilot light 16 receives a regulated quantity of gas through the supply pipe 30 having an ex pansion coil 29 therein. The supply of air oil and gas may be automatically controlle by a thermostat controlled regulating motor 26 direct connected to the control switch 27 and valve mechanism'24 and having its terminals 28 connected to the thermostat in a well known manner.

The lower portion of the recess 11 is provided with a drain pipe 15, the end of which is preferably disposed slightly above the bottom of the recess 11 in order to form an oil catch basin at the lower extremity of the recess. This basin may be connected with the upper bearing of the shaft 3 by means of a wick 1, and with the ball thrust bearing 14 by means of one or more oil feed openings. A vertical oil drain pipe 18 connects; the annular recess 17 of the base 4 with the pipe 15 and the pipe 15 communicates through a bend 20 with a safety control mechanism 22 comprising a an and a lever 23, adapted under abnorma conditions of operation to stop delivery of air, oil and gas to the burner.

In the modifi (1 form of burner disclosed in Fig. 3, "a stationary base 34 is adapted for location within the lower portion of a heater 35, and a rotor 2 of modified construction is mounted centrally within the base 34. The base 34 has an annular lower recess 40 which communicates with a central upper recess 36 of the base through a series of tangential air admission openings 38. The rotor 2 is provided with a series of substantially radial blades 37 located adjacent to the delivery ends of the openings 38. -The remaining elements of the structure are substantiall similar to'those of the apparatus disclose in Figs. 1 and 2 and the base 34 is preferablyprovided with an annular peripheral recess 39 as shown.

During normal operation of the burner disclosed in Fi s. 1 and 2, the terminals 28 of the regulating motor 26 are connected to a thermostat at the source to be heated in a well known manner, the thermostatbeing adjusted to startthe motor 26 when a predeterminedl minimum temperature ex ists at the source, and to stop the motor when a predetermined maximum temperature has been established. When the regulating motor 26 is operating, oil is being admitted from the supply reservoir through the supply pipe 25, valve mechanism 24,

float control device 21, pipe 9 and nozzle 10' in regulated quantity, to the annular groove 7 of the rotor 2. The motor of the blower 19 is'in operation and air under pressure is being forced tangentially through the pipe 31 into the annular air chamber in the base 4. The air thus admitted to this annular air chamber whirls about the wall of the recess 11 and is eventuallydelivered at high velocity through the tangential passages 13 and against the blades 12 of the rotor 2. A rapid rotary motion is thus imparted to the rotor 2 by the entering air which after leaving the blades 12 passes throu h the recess 11 and is eventually di-' verte upwardy toward the top disk of the rotor 2. The rotor top disk causes the air to flow radially outwardy through the rotor feed gap where the air is intimately mixed with oil which is forced upwardly into the gap through the passages 8 from the groove 7 by centrifugal force. The mixture of oil and air is eventually delivered through the screen 6 in atomized conditionand the atomized mixture is automatically ignited by contact with the gas pilot light 16. T he annular flame producedvby ignition of the atomized mixture of oil and air is delivered against the heat'transfer surfaces of the heater 5 from'whence the heat is conducted to the source to be heated, in a well known manner. As the predetermined maximum temperature is established at the source, the thermostat automatically becomes effective to stop the regulating motor 26 thus stopping the blower 19 and the delivery of oil through the nozzle 10, but maintaining the gas pilot light 16 in readiness for subsequent operation of the oil burner.

During normal operation of the modified burner disclosed in Fig. 3, the use of a blower and gas pilot light are unnecessary and it ispreferableto maintain the burner in continuous operation. The modified burner is started by depositing a quantity of highly flammable oil or other substance in the depression in-the top disk of the rotor 2 and" possibly also in the lowest portion of the recess 39, and igniting this substance to create a natural draft of high velocity through the burner and: heater. When a suitable draft has been thus created, air passes at high velocity through the recess llii 40 and passages 38 and is delivered tan en tially against the blades 37 of the modified rotor 2. The air thus impinging against the rotor blades 37 produces rapid rotation of the rotor. Fuel oil admitted in regulated quantity through the pipe 9 and nozzle 10 is mixed with air passing through the rotor gap and the mixture of air and oil is eventually delivered in atomized form past the screen 6 of the rapidly revolving mixture of fuel oil and air will maintainthe draft necessary to produce rotation of the rotor 2. In order to interrupt the operation of the modified burner, it is only necessary to stop the delivery of fuel oil, and} such stoppage may be readily eifected with the aid of an automatically functioning thermostat or the like.

It will be noted that if for any reason, the flame necessary to maintain ignition of the mixture of oil and airdelivered from the rotor 2 is extinguished, and the flow of fuel oil continues, the excess oil will soon flow from the recesses 17, 11, 39, 36 through the pipes 18, 15 to the safety control mechanism 22 and will automatically prevent further feeding of oil and air to the burner. Any excess oil which is deposited in the recess 11, 36 serves to efiectively lubricatethe bearings of the rotor shaft 3 which are located where the entering air automatically serves to keep them cool. The rotor 2 is of perfect dynamic balance and requires very little energy for its rotation. Complete withdrawal of oil from the central recess' 11 is prevented by virtue of the fact that the end of the pipe 15 extends above the bottom of, the recess 11, thereby insuring retention 0 suflicient oil to properly In ricate the bearing 14.

From the fore oing description it will be apparent that .t e improved burner is of extremely simple and compact construction and its efliciency has been demonstrated by its successful commercial operation. The operation of the burner is entirely automatic when normal operation has been established, and the entering air' serves to efl'ectively rotate the distributing and mixing rotor and also prevents overheating of the rotor structure. The apparatus may be readily manufactured and installed in any standard or special heating apparatus and effectively distributes the flame against the heat transfer surfaces of the heater.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and of operation of apparatus such as herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in-the art;

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination, a rotor comprising ver tically spaced walls forming an annular space surrounding and. extending away from the rotor axis. an annular series of blades surrounding said axis below said space, the discharge edges of said blades being in communication with the inlet of said space, means for directing air tangentially against said blades and toward said axis to rotate said rotor, and means for delivering oil directly into said space near the inlet thereof.

2. In combination, a rotor comprising vertically spaced walls forming an annular space surrounding and extending upwardly away from the rotor axis, an annular series of radial blades surrounding said axis below said space, the discharge edges of said blades being in communication adjacent to said axis with the inlet of said space, means for directing air tangentially against said blades and toward said axis to rotate said rotor, and means for delivering oil directly into said space near said axis.

3. In combination, a rotor having a top plate and a wall cooperating therewith to form an annular space surrounding and directed away from the rotor axis toward the peripher of said top, a series of blades surroun in said axis, the discharge edges of said bla es being in communication with the inlet of said space, means for directing air inwardly against said blades to rotate said rotor, and means for delivering oil outwardly through said space.

4. In combination, a rotor having a top plate and a wall cooperating therewith to form an annular space surrounding and directed away from the rotor axistoward the eriphery of said top, an annular series of lades surrounding said axis laterally adjacent to said space, the discharge edges of said blades being in communication with the inlet of said space, means for directing air tangentially against said blades and toward said axis to rotate said rotor, and means for delivering oil directly into said space near the axis of said rotor.

5. In combination, a rotor having a top plate and a wall cooperating therewith to form an annular space surrounding and directed upwardly away from the rotor axis toward .the periphery of said top, an annular series of radial blades surrounding said axis edges of said blades bein in communication adjacent to said axis wit the inlet of said space, means for directing air tangentially and inwardly a ainst said blades to rotate said rotor, an means for delivering oil directly into said space near said axis.

6. In combination, a base having central and peripheral recesses, a rotor mounted centrally within said central recess, said base being formed to directair inwardly toward the axis of said rotor to produce rotation thereof, means for admitting oil to said rotor within said central recess, common means for withdrawing surplus oil from below said space, the discharge both of said recesses, and for preventing complete withdrawal of oil from said central recess.

7. In combination, a base having a recess, a rotor located within said recess,

means vfor directing air inwardly toward the rotor axis'to rotate said rotor, rotor supporting means located within said recess, means for delivering'oil to said rotor,

said recess being formed to accumulate ex 10 eess-oil delivered to said rotor, and means forwithdrawing oil from said recess and In testimony whereof, the signature of the 15 inventor is affixed hereto.

BRUCE K. INGLI-S. 

